Gearing Up To Remain On Guard

Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge is working hard to keep everyone abreast of these changes in security status, but is the public really reacting? More specifically, are businesses and the general public taking the admonition to "remain vigilant" seriously?

If the way vendors are reacting is any sort of gauge, then the answer would be a resounding yes. Take the three vendors in our technology story "Securing the Enterprise" on page 6. McAfee, Symantec and Trend Micro each have a role to play in providing antivirus solutions to the Defense Information Systems Agency.

The trio is furnishing DISA with a number of solutions, which the agency, in turn, is offering free of charge. What can you learn from DISA's story? Start with the fact that the three vendors are working in tandem. Now, think of vendors and even other solution providers you could partner with to maximize your potential. Second, remember there is no one "vaccination" against computer viruses. So, a multivendor enterprise strategy is smart; it protects against multiple virus strains, and it safeguards the agency if one vendor packs it in. Don't lock yourself into offering only one product line: Diversify.

But don't spread yourself out too thin in terms of your company focus. If you want to make a name for yourself in the government segment, you ought to "focus on it like a laser beam," to paraphrase one former president. In our exclusive interview with Donna Morea of AMS on page 10, the top executive heading government sales notes that customer confidence goes a long way. AMS can point to a track record of successes,just the sort of ammunition it needs when going head-to-head with competitors. Another interesting tidbit from Morea: She and her husband, Jeff Chandler, have created their own e-commerce site. The pair are fans of Italian food, and so the site (www.olio2go.com) markets high-end olive oil from different regions in Italy ("olio" in Italian).

"I wanted to put myself in my customers' shoes," said Morea during an interview with VARBusiness contributing editor Dennis McCafferty. "We launched the site in 2001, and, since then, I've been able to see what aspects of the end-to-end e-commerce process are effective and what aspects aren't. I consider this R&D for my AMS customers. And, I'm also finding that my government customers love talking about my olive oil site,from its vision to its implementation. It's a great conversation piece."

Actually, it's a great conversation piece any time VARs take the effort to really understand what his or her customers are going through. They've each been shaken in various degrees by the uncertainty of the days ahead. And they can relate to others' security fears. What once might have been considered paranoid thinking is now often thought of as de rigueur. For example, former Security Chief Richard Clarke earlier this month basically said he was virtually certain a serious cyberattack was in the making. Such statements can really elevate already high anxiety levels.

VARs who are empathetic and can provide a high-security,and, thereby, a high-comfort,level for their clients will be handsomely paid for their efforts.

Yellow. Orange. Red. Some days you just want to be color-blind. Unfortunately, we no longer have that luxury.

Jennifer D'Alessandro ([email protected]) is executive editor at VARBusiness.

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